By Philip Nwosu
Gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday attacked the family home of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in Obeiba-Ihima, Okehi Local Government, Kogi State, vandalising property and causing panic in the community.
The assailants, reported to be at least three in number and armed with guns and cutlasses, stormed the premises around 1:00 a.m., shattering windows and damaging parts of the building.
According to Yakubu Ovanja, Chief Security Officer to the senator, a distress call led to a swift response from security operatives in Okehi. Though no arrests have been made, the police have begun preliminary investigations into the incident.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who confirmed the incident in a statement to The Cable, said she believed the attackers assumed she was in town following a recent visit by her younger brother and contractors to inspect sites for upcoming constituency projects.
“Two days ago, my younger brother took some contractors to my hometown in Ihima. They inspected locations of the next series of projects I attracted to my senatorial district,” she explained.
“The unknown gunmen assumed that I was the one in town and that night, attacked my family house. They were chased off by the civil defence team and community members who trouped out en masse. A report was made at the police area command. Nobody was hurt.”
The senator also noted that officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), along with residents, were instrumental in repelling the attack.
This development comes amid her recent suspension from the Senate over alleged gross misconduct following a clash with Senate President Godswill Akpabio concerning a seating arrangement on the Senate floor.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Conduct, Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imaseun, had announced her suspension, stating that she was found to have violated Senate rules.
Despite the political tensions, Akpoti-Uduaghan remains active in her senatorial duties and maintains that her commitment to Kogi Central remains unshaken.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and security has since been heightened around her hometown as investigations continue.